


Lock Up

by cereal



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 13:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cereal/pseuds/cereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the smallest jail cell Rose has ever been in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lock Up

It’s the smallest jail cell Rose has ever been in.   
  
And there’s a real breadth of experience to draw from there — jails from the past, jails from the future, jails from a hundred different planets — and this one, in a small town out in the country is definitely the smallest.   
  
They’ve only got the one cell, too, so not only is Rose squished in, the Doctor’s right up there next to her, barely a handful of feet between the single bunk, the toilet, and the bars.  
  
The Doctor is sitting cross-legged on the mattress, talking at light speed about how this is an embarrassment and wrongful imprisonment and how he is not drunk, not even a little bit, hardly caffeinated even, and let them out right  _now_.  
  
” _I_  don’t mean this as a criticism of you, but  _I_  feel that  _they_  might take your gob as evidence that you are drunk,” Rose said, keeping her voice light and free of accusation.  
  
Mandatory therapy for Torchwood agents, including couples therapy for acknowledged pairs (even if one half isn’t official, would never be official and, more often than not, forgot to cash his consulting fee checks)  had been implemented just last week. Rose was doing her best to take it to heart, since the Doctor clearly wouldn’t and field assignments were now being given out with recommendations from the staff psychology team.  
  
So, “I” statements it was.  
  
” _I_  don’t know why  _they_  would think that.  _I_  also don’t understand how there could be only one blood alcohol machine in an entire town, and  _I_  further don’t understand how repairing it when it breaks wouldn’t be a priority.”  
  
Their watchman for the night, a young cop with thick glasses and a shock of ginger hair, turned from his desk.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Moneybags is it? Machines require funds, and the well’s run dry. Wouldn’t expect Rose Tyler’s boyfriend to understand financial troubles though," he turned to Rose, seemingly unaware that he’d just insulted her, too. "I’d make sure you get this one to sign a prenup."  
  
The Doctor huffed, “We are  _not_  getting married.”  
  
"That makes you an even better man then, doesn’t it? Bleed her dry and won’t make an honest woman of her? Such class!"  
  
Rose sat down next to the Doctor and closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping her breathing even.  
  
"Oh, rude  _and_  ginger, this one is,” the Doctor crowed.  
  
Rose opened her eyes, “Please stop. Why don’t you just, you know, pretend to sober up, wait it out, and we can be on our way?”  
  
The Doctor considered it for a moment before shouting to the guard, “Will that work, officer? One more hour here and we can go?”  
  
"Whatever," the guard reached into his pocket for a phone.  
  
"Can you believe that? He’s got a fancy mobile and they still can’t get a little machine to confirm I haven’t been drinking."  
  
” _Doctor_.”  
  
"Fine, fine, but you know how I get when I’m drunk," and he rested a hand high up on her thigh, curling his fingers around to the inside seam of her jeans.  
  
"Doctor!"  
  
He grinned, “Now, Rose. You remember what Dr. Walker said? About embracing the delusions, so they can be dealt with and dismissed? I’m drunk, embrace it!”  
  
She watched as Rude-and-Very-Ginger left the room, muttering something about a mobile charger. The Doctor’s fingers inched higher and he leaned in.  
  
"Well, if Dr. Walker said," and she met his mouth halfway.   
  
It was several hours later before Pete arrived to pick them up, scanning the booking report as he walked toward the cell. Not a single mention of inebriation, but there, under charges, it read:  
  
 _Assaulting a police office (eyeballs)_


End file.
